YCC | Daryl Hok ’14, vice president

Hok, who is running for YCC vice president, says he will bring an approachable presence and leadership experience to the organization. If elected, Hok said he aims to foster better communication between the student body and the YCC, improve campus safety, increase the flexibility of the Durfee’s meal swipe policy and install handicap-accessible exits in residential colleges.

Hok currently serves as Silliman’s Sophomore Class Council representative, vice president of finance for AIESEC, and president of the Cambodian American Multi-Branching Organization. He said this leadership experience has helped him create a platform that focuses on concrete, cost-effective goals. Though he has not served on the YCC previously, Hok said he has spoken with current YCC members about his platform, noting that he decided to concentrate on low-cost policies after consulting YCC Treasurer Archit Sheth-Shah ’13 about the monetary challenges involved in accomplishing projects.

Several points of Hok’s platform focus on improving communication the YCC has with students and other universities. To increase dialogue between students and the YCC, Hok plans to have the YCC hold “office hours” over meals, during which students could speak with members of the organization. Hok also plans to strengthen ties between the YCC and the Ivy Council, a student government organization that includes members from all the Ivy League schools. He said these communication-focused initatives will help people “to know this is their Yale.”

“People feel comfortable talking to him,” said Lucy Chen ’14, who serves on the AIESEC executive board with Hok. “One of his big campaign platforms is making YCC more transparent and open to the student body … I think it will make YCC a more student-focused organization.”

As for campus safety, Hok said he hopes to work with the Yale Police Department to increase the presence of Yale Security on and around campus. Hok said he was inspired to tackle safety issues because his suitemates Julian Sagastume ’14 and Martin Shapiro ’14 created BravetheHave, a website that maps crimes reported through YPD Chief Ronnell Higgins’ emails. The map shows the most concentrated crime on Dwight Street, Park Street, Lynwood Place and Howe Street, said Hok — areas he said regular Yale Transit routes do not reach. Hok plans to reroute Yale Transit to these areas, which he said would offer students safer transportation options and deter crime by having Yale shuttles regularly pass through the areas.

Hok said Yale police should focus more on addressing crime in neighborhoods around campus rather than breaking up student parties.

“One thing I want to do is sit down with the YPD and tell them to focus on outward things that are not inward,” he said.

Hok said some of his goals are more ambitious, such as his plans to increase the flexibility of Yale Dining by allowing dinner-time Durfee’s swipes and to install more handicap-accessible exits in residential colleges.

“Dining is a really tough thing to change,” Hok said. “But if anyone were to have any change in dining, it would be YCC. I won’t promise things I may not complete but I will definitely sit down to work things out.”

In addition to implementing new ideas, Hok stressed the importance of continuing current YCC programs. He plans to continue YCC’s mental health initiatives, and to gather feedback on the expansion of gender-neutral housing.

Hok is an economics and psychology double major.

Correction: April 10, 2012

A previous version of this article misstated the position of YCC Treasurer Archit Sheth-Shah ’13.

Comments

silliwin01

Why would he talk to the YCC secretary about money when the treasurer would have a far better knowledge of the finances involved with YCC initiatives?

bow_wow_wow

Archit Sheth-Shah is actually the YCC treasurer. The YDN did a little typo up there.